Consumers (retail customers) and automotive repair facilities, often referred to as service dealers (SD) purchase replacement parts for the repair of automobiles and trucks (vehicles) from parts stores located reasonably close to them. The Replacement Parts distributor have some combination (based on the size and their penetration of the market) of the primary store, sister stores (other like branded stores in the general geographic area), possibly (generally in larger markets) Super or Hub stores (which have larger inventories than most stores), and Warehouses. The combination of these facilities for a specific distributor will be referred to as the Network. Usually a consumer and/or a SD desire to repair a vehicle as soon as possible, and hence part availability is often the most important consideration in determining which distributor's network to buy from. If more than one distributor network can provide prompt delivery, then cost can become the most important consideration. For the purposes of this document the SD model will be used, but the retail customer model operates much the same.
Over the past decade, online parts catalogs have become more prevalent in the automobile service industry. Each auto parts distributor (e.g., O'Reilly, NAPA, Autozone, etc.) currently maintains an eStore that allows a SD to look up particular parts for a given repair (e.g., front disc pad replacement) and/or for a given service type (e.g., oil change). In addition, each online parts catalog relies at least partially on vocabulary and phrases particular to the auto part distributor to describe vehicle information relevant to selection of the particular part. Thus, the type of part (or parts) necessary for repair or service may be dependent on vehicle information (such as vehicle year, make, model, engine, and other specific conditions) that may be at least partially described in vocabulary particular to each distributor's catalogue. In addition, the SD may select the type of part(s) needed. Since there are thousands of types of parts, these parts are grouped in some combination of categories, subcategories, and part types (i.e. Filters and PVC Valves, Filters, Air Filter). Thus, a SD is preferably at least partially familiar with the vocabulary for each distributor in order to access and successfully use each distributor's eStore. The eStore taken in combination with other software to allow the selection of specific parts and the ordering of the selected parts, comprise the distributor's eStore. In addition, a distributor's eStore often has special sale information, labor rates and other information for the purchase of parts. Also, eStores are available for distributors that do not have their own eStore or their own catalogue.
A SD purchases parts from a number of sources. The industry generally refers to these distributors as the “first call”, “second call”, “third call”, etc. The “first call” is the distributor that the SD is most likely to call for parts. The “second call” is the likely call if either the “first call” does not have the part in a primary store or the SD prefers some product line that are not stocked by the “first call”, but are stocked by the “second call”. The “third call” is the next distributor to call and so forth. The SD may be registered for many distributor's eStores and selects from this list to define his first call, second call, third call, etc. from which to order. This selected group of distributors defines a parts ordering network for the SD (distributor's network). Thus, to compare availability and/or price across auto part distributors, the SD would be required to enter their User ID, Password, year, make, model, engine (sometimes), category, subcategory, and part type into each eStore in the distributor's network. In addition, the vocabulary and structure of the lists that are provided on each eStore vary widely. In other words, the SD would need to log-in to each online parts catalog and fill in a series of fields related to vehicle information using the vocabulary particular to the respective dealer's eStore. Then, the SD would have to answer a series of questions regarding the category, subcategory, and part type(s) that were needed for a given repair. These items would also vary in form and verbiage by distributor. In addition, the SD may have to review various “specific conditions” (e.g., front wheel drive versus all-wheel drive versus four wheel drive, automatic versus manual transmission, engine size, and so forth) in each eStore and also determine which grade of part (e.g., economy, national brand, professional brand) the SD would prefer.
Thus, given the time requirements to locate parts and then compare the located parts within the eStores, the most prominent (e.g., 70-80% of the time) method of locating parts remains a SD calling a preferred auto parts distributor and requesting parts based on the part required and vehicle information (e.g., make, model, engine, and specific conditions). If the preferred distributor has immediate (e.g., within 30 minutes to 1 hour) availability, the SD will often order the part independent of price. However, for more expensive parts the SD could “price shop” to determine the least cost option. Almost always, a SD will search other distributors if availability for fast delivery is an issue.
Improvements in the field are desirable in order to provide an efficient online eStore for automotive replacement parts.